Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-01-28
MIR. CHEEvER's ADDRESS.

The subject of Mr.. Cheever's address
was Grass Culture" bnt he prefaced it
by some remarks on the dairying interests
of New England farmers. Fourteen years
ago, he said, 1t was supposed that the
darying industry would always be
confined to a comparatively narrow sec
ton of the East, where there were
good grasses, plentiful water supply, ia
vOrable temperature and an Industrious
class of farmers. 1t was thought that
this section would hold monopoly of
the butter business, and dictate such
prices for high class butter rs it chose
But these calculations were all overturned
when at the great exposition of 1876 East
ern butter matters saw the hOnOrS of the
dairy department carried off by u Western
State. Now creamery butter in the Vest
is of the very first quality and the amount
of 81 a pound butter in the market Is but
a drop in the bucket compared with the
amount sold at regular market prices.
The question arises for Eastern dairymen,
what shall be done about it The only
answer in my opinion, is this; Cheaper
the cost of production by adopting Il bet
ter system of farming Economy in pro-
ductlOn must be observed in all depart
ments of industry, and is observed where
success is obtained. We must produce
fewer weeds and bushes on our farms and
more grasses. We must pay taxes on less
unproductive land. No farmer should be
satisfied with less than two tons of hay
to the acre, or, in summer. with less than
one COW pastured to the acre, with the ad-
dltional feed of "A little grain. Frotu he
latest statistics find that the average i'm
proved portion of Vermont farm con
sists of about 100 acres. support
ing II cows, from p tons of hay
to the acre. Thus it takes eight acres TO
support a COW, two tons of hay to COW,
Each COW gives milk enough to produce
about l3J pounds OF butter. At 20
cents IA pound, TINS would bring S3l2 ~
the average income from Vermont dairy
The average value OF II Vermont farm is
gwen AS 5000 The machinery and i'm
plements are worth $40, the live stock
$3.50, and the working capital is $500 The
total annual income OF Il Vermont farm is
about S62S, out Of which the farmer must
live ana pay his expenses. Less than - a
year is the average paid for fertilizers
must say that do not like the looks of
some of these figures If the profits of
Vermont agriculture are fairly shown by
them, there is little encouragement for a
Vermont farmer to run in debt for his
farm. If he has Il farm left HIM, he can
1--we and get along, for his wages average
about - day for the year round. " hat
| most dislike in these statistics is :he
small income per acre of the Vermont
farm-S6.2s To obtain this The farmer
and his hired man have To travel over too
/
the year the latter Is often the one who
seems to have come out ahead Another
| point: There are many excellent farmers
IN the state, whose profits enter into this
average, so that there must be many poor
fellows working tor still smaller returns
than these figures show. When you
Vermont farmers make all your good
land produce what it is capable
OF producing, you will be prepared
TO compete with any section in the coun-
| try. Two tons of hay is what you should
gel from every acre. The profits of farm
ing, Ike all other business, are repre-
scented by the surplus products after pay
ing running expenses. Better farming is
what the times call for. 1t is quite time
Tor New England farmers to adopt a bet
ter system OF agriculture. They should
get more ont of their farms, and yet leave
them III better condition for their chill
dren. This increase of productlveness
consists In clearing away rocks, fencing,
building, selection and care of live stock
and choosing OF crops.
The grasses are the most universally diff
fused OF all the Towering plants. They in
Guide Indian corn and the small grains.
Nearly all the grasses have hollow
stems. Indian corn is an exception. The
leaves have fixed arrangement, there be-
ing one at each lobe alternately. The
sedges are distinguished from true grasses
In having solid stems. OF all cultivated
grasses timothy is the best known. Ii is
the favorite variety with stable keepers
and horse owners. It costs less To seed
land TO timothy than other grasses, yet
analyses favor some other varieties IN
nutrltive properties Timothy is short,
! llHed Tor moving and pasture, Ii would
| ne TO the advantage Of the farmers OF New
| England TO pay more attention TO other
number one grasses. The farmers OF
Massachusetts. who can sell their hay in
! Boston at so ton, find that they can al